The renovated Century Aurora, site of the July 20 shooting, is holding a special screening for survivors, families and first responders. / KUSA-TV

by Gary Strauss and Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY

by Gary Strauss and Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY

On Thursday night, ticketholders streamed into Denver's Century Aurora movie theater for the first time since a gunman fired on a sold-out show of The Dark Knight Rises in July.

Thursday's reopening is being billed as an evening of remembrance for the 12 people killed and nearly 60 wounded in last summer's massacre.

Tom Sullivan, whose son was killed in the shooting, arrived at the event with his wife and daughter.

"This isn't only the place we lost Alex," Sullivan told the Denver Post. "This is the place we also live. We love to come to the movies."

The Post reported that parking lots filled up quickly around the theater, which was guarded on every corner.

The event, which showed the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey after the remembrance ceremony, was praised by state and local officials, but boycotted by some victims and their families.

"We certainly recognize all the different paths that people take to mourn, the different paths that people take to recover from unimaginable, incomprehensible loss," Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said during the ceremony in a half-full theater.

"Some wanted this theater to reopen. Some didn't. Certainly both answers are correct," Hickenlooper says. He credited Cinemark CEO Tim Warner for flying to Colorado himself after hearing about the shooting to see what he could do.

Nearly six months to the day after the shootings, Aurora's Century 16 was renamed the Century Aurora, remodeled and cleansed of bloodstained aisles, seats and hallways that marked the July 20 massacre.

Theater owner Cinemark plans to reopen the entire 16-screen complex in Aurora to the public temporarily on Friday, then permanently on Jan. 25.

Discussions had ranged from reopening the theater to tearing it down and erecting a memorial to the victims.

"There were different opinions from a lot of parts of the community, but a majority wanted to have it reopened just as a way of moving forward," Hickenlooper says.

Sandy Phillips, whose 24-year-old daughter, aspiring sportscaster Jessica Ghawi, was among those killed, refused to attend the event. Phillips remains in contact with families who lost loved ones. Some were hurt by theater operator Cinemark Holdings' invitation, others were angered, she says.

"There's been no condolence letter, no reaching out, no apologies, then two days after Christmas, we get this invitation to attend a reopening of a killing field. We were shocked by the insensitivity," Phillips says. "For some people, this might bring a sense of closure. But we won't ever step in a movie theater again."

At least seven victims and victims' families have filed personal injury or wrongful death suits against Cinemark Holdings, charging that the security was lax. Police say shooting suspect James Holmes left through an emergency door during a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises, armed himself with guns and assault gear from his car, then re-entered the theater, firing nearly 80 rounds from an assault rifle, shotgun and semiautomatic pistol.

After an emotionally charged preliminary hearing last week, during which prosecutors presented evidence showing the bullet-ridden, blood-marred complex and photos taken by Holmes casing out the property, the 25-year-old University of Colorado doctoral program dropout faces a March 12 arraignment on more than 160 charges of murder and attempted murder.

Cinemark CEO Tim Warner and other officials did not respond to repeated telephone calls and e-mail requests for comment. The theater, enveloped by a tarp-covered, chain-link fence for several months, was opened Tuesday and Wednesday to victims and family members who sought a private viewing. Cinemark has spent more than $1 million redesigning and renovating the complex. including combining two theaters where victims were shot into a large, X-D digital viewing room. It provided free tickets to shooting victims, first responders and medical personnel who aided victims after the shootings.

The theater is also offering free tickets to the general public this weekend. In addition to the Hobbit screening, theater placards Thursday featured Trouble With the Curve, Cloud Atlas, and other films.

Tom Teves, whose 24-year-old son, Alex, was among those killed, refused to attend. Teves says he isn't opposed to the reopening, but is upset at Cinemark's handling of the event and its lack of response to victims and victims' families over the past six months.

"I got an e-mail on Dec. 27 -- my birthday -- to go up and see something that's been completely sanitized,'' says Teves, who is not among the nine family members suing Cinemark. "They've had plenty of time to reach out to us. But this is the only correspondence I've had with them. I've tried to reach out to them, but they've shown no interest in speaking to any of us -- no real compassion for the families who lost someone. They've been very, very insensitive."

Mayor Hogan, who asked Plano, Texas-based Cinemark in September to reopen the theater, declined several interview requests.

"We as a community have not been defeated," Hogan told the audience during the ceremony Thursday. "We are a community of survivors. We will not let this tragedy define us."

Yousef Gharbi, who was wounded in the right temple and spent several weeks hospitalized, attended Holmes' preliminary hearing, but won't be at tonight's theater event.

"If they want to reopen, there is still money to be made,'' says Gharbi, a 17-year-old high school senior. "If I had the time, I might go, but there will be lots of press and drama. And I've got homework to do."

Kailin says she is attending the reopening to support victims, families, first responders and others impacted by the shootings.

"For some, this can be really healing. They need to revisit the site and confront their fears, to show themselves they can move forward beyond this,'' Kailin says. "But some people don't want anything to do with this theater and may never go to a movie again."